


Flawless Strangers

by ethan_is_tired



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Art, Blood, How Do I Tag, M/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23255551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethan_is_tired/pseuds/ethan_is_tired
Summary: At his first exhibition, Will Solace meets Nico di Angelo, a performance artist known for upsetting and gory works of art. After their first meeting, Will is ecstatic when he runs into Nico again. The two of them quickly become close and Will finds himself getting deep into Nico's life. However, as they become closer and closer, Will is forced to face the fact that nothing is as it seems, and that everything he knows could turn out to be a lie.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Needle.

Will looked around the art gallery anxiously. It would be a couple of hours until his exhibit opened, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. He'd been waiting for this day for months, at least, and these last few hours felt tortuous. 

His new project, Dependence, had taken the longest of any of his other projects. Getting the pictures, the stories, painting all of it. It had been exhausting. But this, his first gallery exhibit, it was all worth it.  
He found himself wandering through the museum. It had a huge variety of art, better than he’d seen in a while. He explored the sculpture wing and the classical paintings before stumbling into a room he'd never seen before.

He looked around the large, empty room. There was a sizable crowd of people, but no art that he could see.

“Excuse me.” Will finally asked one of the spectators. 

“Do you know what… this is?”

“Not really.” they shrugged. 

“Alright, then Kind of strange, isn't it?.”

“Hey,” someone said. “It’s a performance piece. Or, it will be. Hasn't started yet.”

“Really?” the first person asked. “What’s it going to be?”

“Think it’s a surprise. But it’s by Angelo, so it’s bound to be good.”

“Angelo?” Will asked. “Isn't he the guy who sprayed…”

“Yeah. He is.” they pointed a finger at the corner of the room. “He's setting up now, look.”

Will looked at the direction they were pointing. A short, dark haired man was placing down a folding table. A couple people were gathering around him, and Will found himself moving nearer to the man. He didn't really know why, but he inched closer and closer to Angelo, gravitating to him.

Angelo laid out several items on the table. Knives of different sizes, a scalpel, an ax, a nail, a needle. When he was done displaying all the items on the table, he looked up at Will. Will bit his lip, realizing just now how close he was to Angelo. 

“Hello.” Angelo smiled.

“Hi.” Will replied. “Um. I like your…”

“It’s just beginning.” Angelo grinned, running a finger over the base of the knife. “Now, what’s your name?”

“I'm Will. Will Solace.”

“Okay.” Angelo grinned. “Are you willing to take part in this performance, Will Solace?”

“Sure.” Will didn't really know what he was agreeing to. “Yeah.”

Angelo, with a flourish of his arm, gestured to all the weapons on the table. “Pick one.”

“What?”

“Pick one.”

Will nervously picked up the sewing needle. “Okay.”

“Use it.” Angelo said, like it was an everyday command.

“How am I supposed to…?”

“On me. Use it on me.”

“What?”

“Any way that you want.” Angelo said. “Scratch me, stick it in me, whatever you feel like.”

Will looked down at the white paper mat covering the floor of the room. He felt sick, all of a sudden. “I don't really want to.”

“But you can.” Angelo said.

Will looked down into Angelo's eyes. They were deep brown, endless and rich. But there was something else in there, too. A flash, a trick of the light. Something unusual. Something dangerous.

Hesitantly, Will placed the flat side of the needle against Angelo's arm, and pulled it away. “I did it.”

“I suppose. “ Angelo turned back to the crowd. “Anybody willing to do better?”

“Better?”

“Less…” Angelo licked his lips. “Less hesitantly. More dramatic. It's a show, Will Solace.”

“I…”

“Any other volunteers?” Angelo pointed at a person in the back, the same one Will had been talking to earlier. “Yeah, you there. Come up. Choose a tool.”

Will backed out of the room nervously, as he watched the knife gleam in the volunteer’s hand. He nervously walked back into the room he was supposed to be waiting in, jolting when the security guard tapped him on the shoulder.

“This exhibit isn't open for another hour.” the guard said.

“It’s my exhibit.”

“Solace?”

“Yeah. That's me.”

“Well, have you set up yet?”

“Yeah, got my paintings up.” Will adjusted his ski jacket. “Can I just get in, please?”

“Of course.” the guard said. “Good luck with your showing.”

“Thanks.” Will tried to regain his confidence. “Hey, do you know what that whole Angelo thing is?”

“The guy in room four?”

“Yeah. Him. He was...with the knives.”

“Ah, wandered into a performance? Yeah, they get gory.”

“He does stuff like that?”

“Yeah,” the guard looked down at his watch. “Your presentation starts soon. Do you need help with anything?”

“No, I'm good.” Will shook his head, trying to keep his breath slow and steady. “I'm good.”

…

The presentation went well, Will thought. He didn't stutter, thankfully, and he gave what he decided was a fair representation of all the paintings.

He could've gone home after, but he decided to stay in the museum to answer questions about Dependence. It was more interesting than his hotel room, and a lot less cold. 

“Hey,” a soft voice murmured next to him. “What’s up with the yellow one?”

“It’s Sunlight.” Will proudly explained. “I did it when I was out in the countryside. My mom has a house up there.”

“That's cool.”

Will looked down at the person he was talking to, and a slight shiver ran up his body. “It’s you.”

“Hm?” Angelo cocked his head.

“You’re the knife guy.”

“You'd be surprised how much I've been called that. You'll have to give me another clue.”

“I'm Will.”

“Yeah, Solace, right? Saw the sign outside.” Angelo's face flashed with sudden realization. “Oh. You're the needle guy.”

“Yeah. I am.” Will looked down at the bandages covering Angelo's arms. “How’d that turn out?”

“Exactly as I wanted it to.” Angelo grinned, lazily stretching out his wounded arms. 

“What was your goal with that, anyways?”

“To see how crazy people would get. And, boy, did they. I've done it at...five?” Angelo shrugged. “Five, I think, museums now. Got the paper mats, bloodstains, I'm hoping to go to ten more.”

“What’s the end product, I mean? Besides art? What does it mean?”

“What people are willing to do once they realize they can, I think.” Angelo. “I didn't really know what the lesson was when I started, but I think that's what I learned.”

“You try to learn through your art?” Will ran his eyes over the man. He had curly brown hair, a sharp nose, and a defined cupid's brow. Will could've sworn that he recognized him somehow. He gave him déjà vu.

“Yeah. Figure it’s no good unless I learn something from it, you know? Like it doesn't have any meaning.”

“Huh.” Will nodded. “That's cool. You're more...in control...than I thought you were.”

“In control?”

“You know what you're doing, I mean. You have a plan.”

“And you thought I didn't?”

“You asked me to stick a needle in you.”

“That's fair.” Angelo smiled again and stuck out his hand. “I'm Nico di Angelo.”

“Nice to meet you.” Will shook his hand.

“You know, I like you.” Nico said. “You have spirit.” 

“Yeah? That's a compliment?”

“Of course.” Nico smirked, and Will could've sworn that he saw him wink. “I hope to see you again sometime, Will Solace.”

Will tired to think of something smart to say.  
Unsuccessful, he waved and responded. “You too.”

…

He was normally a clever guy, Will thought as he headed back to the hotel. The sun was setting now, and he wished there was a nice place to sit and take a picture. 

Angelo, Nico, he made Will nervous. He was one of those people. One of those breathtaking, spectacular people that you only met once. Strangers that changed your life.

Only, Will reminisced in his hotel room, watching the first result on Google for “Angelo performance art”, Nico hadn't really changed his life. He was supposed to be one of those strangers, yet Will hadn't walked away with any new morals. 

Will didn't know why he was so upset by this thought. Maybe, if he knew what was yet to come, his mind would settle and he'd understand. Or, maybe he'd sit up restlessly like he was right now. Either way, Will Solace didn't know what he was in for. 

Not yet.

Not for a while.


	2. Color.

Will glanced out of the bus window. Since his exhibit had been near LA, he'd decided to stay a couple of days, explore. It was nice, in the most photogenic sense of the word, but Will felt nothing for it, really. He'd looked around some theaters, tried to book a tour, nothing really noteworthy.

His brother Austin had shown him around LA the first day, which had been fun, but mostly because Austin was there. Now that Will was on his own everything seemed shallow, fake. He couldn't get out of his mind, really. Couldn't place his feelings. It all felt plastic.

He was sitting in the guest room of Austin's apartment, scrolling through his phone. He was trying to get some enjoyment, some entertainment, but everything felt the same. 

He'd been stuck in this rut for a couple of weeks now. It had paused for a little bit, just for the excitement of his exhibit, but that had been days ago. Everything felt grey.

It wouldn't be a problem, really, if his art didn't rely so heavily on color. He needed boldness, excitement, passion. He needed meaning, and expression, and that wasn't something he could fake. He needed feeling, and that was something he was running low on.

Will groaned, and shifted out of bed. Maybe he could take a walk or something. Back home, that always inspired him. He got up slowly, and walked for the door. Austin was at work, so Will grabbed the spare set of keys and headed out.

He'd made it halfway down the hall, heading for the elevator, when he felt something crash against his back. The pain spread, and he struggled to catch his balance as he heard the crash of heavy metal objects falling on the floor. 

“Shit!” somebody said, and Will turned behind to look at what had just happened. A large cardboard box was lying on the floor, its contents scattered around it. 

“Sorry.” Will said, confused. He kneeled down to put the box right side up, and glanced at the black-clad figure struggling to pick everything up.

“No, it’s my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going.” 

“I've been there.” Will lied. He didn't feel like small talk at the moment. Just wanted to get up and leave. His walk wouldn't be as enjoyable, either, now. His back hurt. That box had been heavy.

“Just nervous, I guess. I’m moving in, you know? And I just don't know what to do. You live here?”

“My brother does.” 

“Austin?”

“You know him?”

“He’s a friend of a friend.”

“I see.” Will put the last object back in the box, and stood up to leave. “Well, good luck moving.”

The owner of the box was still leaning down, trying to pick up the heavy box. “I guess we'll be seeing each other again.”

“Maybe.”

“I'm Nico.” the owner of the box looked up, and Will's breath caught in his throat.

“You?” 

“Me.” Nico smiled. “Will, right?”

“Um. Yeah. I…” Will felt sick, but not in a bad way. It was a confusing feeling. He wondered what it would look like if he painted it. “Well, you...you want help with your box?”

Nico grinned and let go of his grip on the box. He still had some Band-Aids on his arm, Will noticed. It wasn’t a pleasant observation. “I’d love some.”

Will picked up the box. “Which room?”

“Um.” Nico bit his lip. “231, I think.”

“That's not on this floor.”

“It isn't?”

“This is the 300’s floor.” Will smiled. He felt more in charge of this situation than he had the other two times he had seen Nico. “Here, let's go to the elevator. I'll show you your room.”

…

Will had shown Nico to his room, which was surprisingly nice. Well lived-in. 

“My friends live here, too.” Nico had explained. Will had pressed him on, but despite the long talk they'd had, he hadn't learned any other details. 

Will had meant to go on his walk eventually. He did, really. But Nico was a great conversationalist and Will found himself watching the hours go by.   
“I should head back soon.” Will finally said. “I told Austin I'd make dinner.”

“You cook?” Nico's voice was smooth, and light, and relaxing. Will could listen to it all day. It was rehearsed, though, like he was talking to an audience. Maybe it was all the performing he did. 

“Yeah. Runs in the family, I guess. “

“Your mother or your father?”

“Mother, definitely. Maybe my father. I wouldn't know.”

“Never met him?”

“Not really, no.”

“Same.” Nico said. “Never really met anybody in my family, really. Hear I've got a half sister in SoCal somewhere. She's in her twenties, and I only found out about her a couple of months ago.”

“I couldn't name all my half siblings if I tried.” Will laughed. “Doubt my father could, either. Just know Austin, really.”

“It’s strange.” Nico mulled. “How relatives, people who share blood, DNA, how they can be so disconnected. I have no physical connections to you, yet I know you better than I know my own sister. Isn't that weird?”

“I suppose.” Will said. “Though I don’t think of it that way. If you want to get medical, I guess we do share the same beginnings of...well, we don't share...not us, in particular, I mean…”

“I hope not.” Nico chuckled. “You never know, though. “

“You’re far too right.” Will grinned. “Speaking of siblings, though, I really should be getting back.”

“You want a drink, first? Some food for the road?”

“I'm fine.”

“I have some strawberries from the farmer's market. They're amazing.”

“I really have to go.” Will apologized. “Sorry.”

“Well,” Nico’s mouth stretched out into a grin. “It was nice to see you again Will.”

“It was.” Will agreed. “Especially without the blood.”

“Well…” Nico paused mid-thought. “I hope I'll see you again.”

“Same to you.” Will tried to get up, but hesitated. There was something about Nico. Will knew with all his heart that they weren't supposed to meet again. That this wasn't supposed to happen. Yet something in Will, the senseless side, he supposed, couldn't let the man go. “Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“What's your phone number?”

Nico's eyes lit up. “Yeah? Give me your phone and I'll put it in.”

Will handed Nico his phone, and Nico typed something in before handing it back. “Well, I'll see you later.”

“Definitely.” Nico nodded.

Will walked out of the apartment with a strange feeling. His instincts were on high alert, like something was threatening him. Every rational thought he had was a warning. Yet, they were drowned out by the rush of happiness Will felt when he thought about Nico.

He was so torn out by those emotions, so completely overwhelmed, that Will forgot completely about his backache. A dull pain caused by a man in black running full speed at him, carrying a heavy box filled with nothing.

Something was wrong, Will knew. But something was right, too. So right. So perfectly, beautifully right. Something colorful.


End file.
